EBLEX together with catering butchers Fairfax Meadow, joined forces on 30th September to host a lunch in London designed to highlight Quality Standard Mark English Beef and Lamb.
[gallery type="slideshow" ids="https://d34wkqkcvmkqx1.cloudfront.net/CMS/s3/ymg-library/web/images/2014/10/Braised-Chuck-Tender-Main-Course-Dish-e1412237085313.jpg|Braised Chuck Tender Main Course Dish.,https://d34wkqkcvmkqx1.cloudfront.net/CMS/s3/ymg-library/web/images/2014/10/Lamb-Koftas-Cumber-Canape-e1412237014376.jpg|,https://d34wkqkcvmkqx1.cloudfront.net/CMS/s3/ymg-library/web/images/2014/10/Guests-at-Brigade-Slow-Cook-Beef-and-Lamb-event-e1412237055370.jpg|Guests at Brigade Slow-Cook Beef and Lamb event.,https://d34wkqkcvmkqx1.cloudfront.net/CMS/s3/ymg-library/web/images/2014/10/Roasted-Marrowbone-Canape-e1412237071510.jpg|Roasted Marrowbone Canape."]
However this was no ordinary lunch and unusually, guests were treated to the delights of under used cuts including shoulder of lamb croquets and Fairfax Meadow Northamptonshire Grain Fed Beef, which were slow cooked to show just how good these can be. Slowly Does It is an initiative by EBLEX highlighting braising and casseroling, under the theme ‘it takes time but not your time’. The delights of specialist craft beers were taken with each course and tasting notes were provided.
The venue was Brigade, a restaurant in Tooley Street located in the old fire station, which was founded by chef Simon Boyle, who has also launched the Beyond Food Foundation, a social enterprise using great food to transform people’s lives, including homeless people who are trained to become chefs as well as apprenticeships, which offers training in food skills. The restaurant also contributes its profits to charity.
Chef Simon Boyle welcomed a range of guests including growers, suppliers and media and explained the background to this unique bistro restaurant and the slow cooking that had resulted in the menu featured at the event. Hugh Judd of EBLEX added to the welcome, explaining that there is enormous potential in the foodservice sector in the slow cooking of under used joints and cuts. He also pointed out that English lamb has never been better and right now is eating superbly.
Celebrity chef Brian Turner CBE was guest of honour and gave a talk on slow cooking food and the fantastic taste and textures that can be achieved, together with a few amusing anecdotes from his past family life where slow cooking was one of his inspirations for producing great food.
Chief executive of Fairfax Meadow Gerry Wensley summed up thanking everyone for coming. He told Meat Management: “We have had a superb and most enjoyable lunch. Fairfax Meadow have what I would describe as a unique cattle programme. Today’s grain fed beef featured on the menu comes from steers reared and raised on two farms in Olney, Northamptonshire and it has been a real pleasure to share the great taste and eating quality the product offers with our industry friends and colleagues.”
www.brigade.co.ukwww.fairfaxmeadow.co.ukwww.eblex.org.uk
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
